THE 5 BEST RESTAURANTS IN BARCELONA

Every inch of Barcelona is brimming with tapas bars, seafood restaurants and rooftop hangouts which makes picking a place to dine a difficult job. To give you a helping hand I’ve listed five of the coolest, and somewhat quirkiest, restaurants in the city from American themed diners to traditional Catalan cuisine.

Ca’l Chusco

Located just back from Barcelona’s main beach, Ca’L Chusco is a family-run tapas restaurant and the perfect spot to grab a quick lunch. If you’re new to tapas, or genuinely just an indecisive person, the restaurant offers complimentary dishes to new guests who can’t quite decide their tapas dish of choice. The menu here changes daily depending on what the owners have in stock or, more accurately, what they fancy cooking up that day. You could be enjoying home-made patas bravas, fried fish and speciality ham all washed down with deliciously cheap draught beer.

El Bosc de les Fades

For tapas with a twist, head to this fairy-tale themed cafe-come-bar located just off Las Rambla street. This dimly lit eatery offers a strangely magical experience to its visitors as inside the building resembles a forest. There’s a labyrinth of walkways, trees sprouting from the ground and an array of mannequin fairies all of which add to the magical atmosphere. Enjoy dining on the usual tapas dishes along with a range of café specials including home-made cakes and pastries.

Big Al’s American Kitchen

If you’re all tapas’d out and craving some western cuisine, then head straight over to Big Al’s American Kitchen. This cool burger joint sits just back from the Gothic Quarter and serves an array of starters including pulled pork nachos, chilli cheese fries and brisket sliders. When it’s time for your main course the burger menu is extensive, and customers can dine on quadruple-decker patties garnished with freshly grilled jalapenos, crispy bacon and caramelised onion jam. For a quick taste of the western world, Big Al’s is Barcelona’s go-to burger house.

Rooftop Smokehouse

For something a little more sophisticated head to the Rooftop Smokehouse, an old-worldy English restaurant serving an array of delicious street food style cuisine. Think pastrami sandwiches and fresh octopus, all smoked on the buildings rooftop smokehouse. Trying to make a reservation at the restaurant can be kind of tricky though as the doors only swing open a couple of days a month and offers a changing seasonal menu. Check the website to see if you’ve landed on an open day but, if not, fear not as the restaurant has branched out and now serves takeout street food from El Paradiso bar. Head here to enjoy hot salt beef bagels and mackerel baps to-go.

El Mex

El Mex might not actually qualify as a restaurant as it’s a food truck located at Lost & Found Market, but it serves traditional South American cuisine that you just can’t miss out on. Enjoy freshly made spicy nachos, beef burritos and cheesy quesadillas while you wander the market. Check out El Mex’s website to see where the van’s located each week as it’s incredibly popular it tends to be at most of the cities big outdoor events.